I am on my second Honda CRV, a great car. Good luck!

I have a 2015 Subaru Forester - my third one - the 2nd got backed into by a garbage truck - destroyed the front end but I came out without a scratch. It goes in any weather.

I drive an Outback and love it. The new ones look very cool. Previously I owned a Toyota 4Runner and before that a Jeep. I never felt as secure in slippery conditions with those vehicles as I do in the Outback. I was interested to learn that in New England Subarus are held in high regard for their ability to get around in winter weather. In Vermont, supermarket parking lots are known as "Subaru corrals." :-)

You’ll drive each of the final candidates, right? You want to compare seat height, steering ease, visibility, and the advanced safety features which are offered on cars now.

I am very happy with my 2016 CRV. We got a stepped up model which provided the button that lowers the back gate. The right turn and back up cameras are terrific for safety. There are other safety features too. My friend has a Subaru suv and when she was riding with me, she said she thought it looked like I was turning the car with more ease than she was able in her car. Just anecdotal there.

After we got the car, my husband thought the tires were too noisy and had them switched out for Michelin’s. It was better.

Good luck.

I've never owned a car in that class (nearly always go for subcompacts with high gas mileage and biggest cargo room for the least $). So my comments might not be that useful to you, but...

That said, as a 5'5" moderate weight female, I can tell you that the seats in the Mazda Protege were never comfortable for more than a very short drive, and the defroster seemed to blow right into my eyes; the Honda Fit's (my current) are okay but I have had to turn the headrest around to avoid having my head pushed too far forward (I need to sit fairly upright, can't tolerate a Magnum PI driving posture!); the Nissan Versa's were very comfortable (and the car over 8 years was reliable and okay to drive, I never quite understood its low ratings for it class); as were my Subaru Legacy (my sole larger car in the past 27 years and one I would very strongly consider again if I wanted a sedan, IF they improved the MPG) and the oh-so very-many-years-ago Toyota Tercel.

Since the class of car that I buy isn't based on luxury factors, it is the little things that tend to shape my opinion, external visibility (not so little, really) like seat comfort and positioning, ease of controls, glare from low sun or reflection off the dash (another problem with the Fit for me), air flow pattern, how well the AC or heater works, and so forth. MPG is also very important to me.

The rear view window in the Hyundai ruled it out for me this last time, although my BIL who reviews cars recommended it. It just didn't give me an adequate view.

My husband has the Subaru and I have a new Nissan Rogue. I love my car as the seat is soooo comfy but, I have to admit, his is much easier to drive, the steering is smoother.

Lily and for anyone that wants to see what a vehicle looks like there is no need for someone to take a picture of one since almost all new cars are shown on line.

I too have a problem with the smaller windows some of which are also placed higher. Although I use the backup camera there are times that seeing out the back window have been useful. I am currently looking for something smaller than my 2014 Forester and have found nothing small that has the pedestrian warning that I would like. Having had someone with long legs who was not watching where they were going step into the side of my car last year as I was backing it would have been good to have.

Thanks again, everyone. Yayagal, so you actually have the two cars in question. It will have to do with comfort and they both will have to be driven or brought home for a day which the Subaru dealer wanted husband to do the other day. The hatchback Audi my son in law drives is very uncomfortable for me, especially in the back seats. The Impreza Subaru we now drive has only two faults. He doesn't think it gets as good gas mileage as he expected, but then he's probably comparing to our Priuses. My only complaint was minor. When I am strapped in the passenger seat, it's very difficult to reach the Sirius radio panel to switch stations. The driver has much closer contact as well as contact on the steering wheel. But that has been changed in their new design.

Funny story. A friend in San Fransico said Outbacks are the cars most lesbians drive and gay men drive Mini Coopers. I'll have to tell my grandson that one...lol

It does all boil down to comfort. I have been in all three. We own and old Honda CRV. I drive a Ford Escape. I love it. I am very fussy with how the front seat feels. The back I think is comfy.

I know it's not on your list, but it should be :)

MY sister and her husband have the Forrester. Similar to the Outback, not sure why you choose one over the other.

I'd drive them all and see how they feel to you. Can't speak for the comfort of the front drivers seat, but I was a back seat passenger in the a new Subaru Outback and it was oddly uncomfortable. The backrest felt like it was reclined to far back so you were almost looking up at the roof. Not sure it was adjustable or not...but it was a short ride so I just dealt with it.

I've always driven Toyotas and one thing that is noticeable to me is the seats in Nissans...Unless they've changed their design over the last few years, they feel super flat to me...that is the only way I can describe it.

My information may be woefully out of date, since it dates to when I last was looking to buy a car, when I was considering similar models, in 2005. I ended up buying a Subaru Forester. Some of the deciding factors for me were that it actually had all wheel drive, as opposed to the CRV where it was an optional upgrade and where it was effectively a front wheel drive car, that if the front wheels started slipping would then (and only then) transfer some of the power to the rear wheels.

Additionally at that time Honda considered the CRV to be a "light truck" which allowed it to apply the lower safety standards mandated for "trucks" as compared to Subaru who considered the Forester to be a "car" which must satisfy more strict safety regulations. One specific consequence of this fact pertained to low-speed collisions where on the CRV because the spare tire was mounted on the back of the vehicle protruding further than the rear bumper a 2.5 MPH rear end collision would do $1000s of damage, as opposed to the Forester (of that time) which because it was a "car" couldn't put the spare tire in that location, and in a 2.5 MPH rear end collision the Forester would experience $0 damage (an average)

Lily, you'll probably do this anyway, but I just thought I'd mention that it's a good idea to sit in the back seat of any vehicle you're considering. I was impressed with the roominess of the Outback's back seat. My son was surprised at how spacious the cargo area is. We fold the back seats down and he packs the cargo space full of ham radio equipment to sell when we go to hamfests. He says the Outback holds more than my previous ride, a big Toyota 4Runner. Oh, and I'm very fond of the smooth continuous variable transmission. Possibly all the models you're looking at have this.

I love my Forester. I do not consider the Forester and Outback similar other than they are from the same company. The Forester is a compact SUV and the Outback is a wagon. The Forester has remained more square and kept the fairly large back window thus making visibility better. The Outback sits a bit lower and visibility is not quite as good.

I have had 3 CRVs and one Rav 4 and now have my Forester. Honda kept changing the body style (first one was a 2005) to the point where I just didn't like it. I never cared for the Rav 4. My daughter is still driving the 2005 CRV. I probably will get another Forester in 2020.

I have to agree with the hubs, whenever I have shopped for a new car, Subarus tend to have the worst MPG of comparable cars as well as being at the more expensive end. Now that gas is cheap (for the time being) it seems less important, but I expect it to hit $4/gallon again, if not more.

Whistle , you're exactly right in your description. The Forrester is a real SUV while the Outback is a wagon, really a larger Impreza. But since we're in our 70's and done with hauling kids, large dogs and antiques, we didn't want a larger SUV. Back in the day, we traded our pristine gorgeous Mustang sports model for the worst car in the world... a Ford Country Squire station wagon which was the lemon of all time. At the time there were little kids, a giant dog and I was always buying large antiques. The electric windows rarely worked, it was always in the shop. It was the last American car we ever owned. We went from Volvos to Mercedes(the old square sedans), to Nissans, Lexus ,Hondas,Toyotas and now Subaru. The modern technology is something almost unimaginable back in my Country Squire days.

We have a pair of Honda CR-V; one is a 2010 model and the other is 2011. There's not much difference between these two, mainly color. We have been satisfied with both. My main gripe is the big blind spot on both sides and very blind rear view when backing. Neither of ours has a rear view camera. I recommend a camera. The Subaru Forester may have better blind spot view.

Both of our CR-Vs have AWD (all wheel drive). I highly recommend it. Before these two, I had a 2005 CR-V with front wheel drive only. These CR-V are a bit top heavy and tend to lighten the load on the inside front wheel when turning a corner. The result is easy wheel slippage on the inside front wheel when turning a corner after a stop at a traffic light or stop sign. This condition worsens with wet or snowy roads. AWD fixes this. We live in snow country and AWD is is a very good plus for this. The downside: AWD adds maybe 200 to 250 lb of weight making the AWD version a little less on acceleration.

Our 2010 and 2011 models have 5 speed transmissions. Soon after these models, maybe its the 2012 one, CR-Vs were equipped with the CV (constant variable) transmission. (CV transmissions were available for the Honda Civic a year before the CR-V.) The engine control module may be programmed to emulated a gear transmission by moving quickly between speed ratios. In the past, there has been noise complaints with CV transmission with several brands, but reviews I've read have said that Honda's version is okay. I can not vouch for this as having had no experience. Be on the lookout for this.

Honda CR-Vs are equipped with only 4 cylinder engines whereas Toyota RAV4 had a choice of 4 or V6 engines. Personally, I prefer the V6. I don't know what the engine choices are for current Toyota models. I am not a big fan of 4 cylinder automotive engines, however, the Honda engine in the CR-V is the nicest 4 cylinder I have ever driven. I can feel a little engine 'chugging' at low rpms when in 5th gear. Typically, this happens around 45 mph when the transmission shifts to 5th gear at light load. The engine will be turning 1500 rpm. This goes away at higher engine revs. A V6 is smoother under this condition.

To get power, the naturally aspirated, Honda 4 has variable valve tuning (It works). There is a power surge beginning above 3000 rpm, good for getting up to speed on acceleration ramps. For most of the time, the engine turns about 2200 rpm at 70 mph while cruising and will not be in its power band; expect downshifts on hills.

My best friend bought a new Chrysler Pacifica after losing their vehicles in the flood. It's really nice and has so much room it's surprising how much can be hauled in it. I love the dash, the backup viewer is huge. I would consider one after riding with her frequently.

We bought a slightly used 2017 Nissan Rogue about 3 months ago and so far, I’ve been happy with it. My son in law has one too and is very happy as well. The only 2 con’s I’ve found so far is that it doesn’t have a great turning radius and the placement of some of the switches (like heated steering wheel or the back hatch release) are on the side of the dash and they’re not as easily accessible for the driver as I think they should be. Another reason we went with a Rogue is because in 2000, we bought a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab and we never had any problems with it. When we finally traded it in, it had 260,000 miles on it and the only thing it needed was a new transmission. I forgot to mention that I drive both hwy and city streets and to my surpise, the Rogue does get good gas mileage.

We also have a Mazda CX5 that we bought a little over a year ago. When I was researching cars that time, my focus was on the Honda CVR and the Mazda wasn’t even on my radar. However, the sales guy talked me into giving it a try and I ended up loving it. It’s roomy and pretty inside, it handles beautifully (Kelly Blue Book has written about this) and when it comes to bad weather, ice, snow and hills, it’s exceeded our expectations. It actually plowed right through 6-8 inches of snow on our long inclined drive last week.

The thing I didn’t care for with the Honda was the cabin was tight and even though it was a fully loaded model, it’s interior was cheap feeling, and very basic. It also didn’t handle as smoothly as the Mazda did.

Something you should be aware of when shopping around is that the caveat for all of the vehicles in the 4 cylinder category is their transmissions. One of the ways that manufacturers have managed to cut down on emissions is by adding more gears and that has caused the majority of the 4 cylinders to be noticably sluggish when excellerating.

Hope this helps!

Toyota’s for us.

been looking at a rav4. Dh has a trunda

and I have been driving a 94 Camry wagon for 25 yrs. love the wagon but

climbing out of it with RA ...

Oh, how I remember those old Ford Country Squire wagons! I had a yellow with wood 1973 - tge color was appropriate as it was constantly in the shop. Then, my parents gave us a 1978 when I married for the 2nd time. It made it to 98,000 miles...barely, but was an improvement over tge first. Those big split front seats sure were comfortable, though. We made a few cross country trips in our - only problem was they were a low slung car and when fully loaded with car top carrier and bike rack, they would bottom out very easily.

We traded our last one for a 1985 Suburban. Drove that sucker till 2003 with 275,000 miles on it. It was hauled away on a flat bed truck - got $200 for it for its parts.

Yesterday after writing my response I left work, walked to the parking garage and as I walked through the garage toward my car I notice a CRV and Forester right next to one another. They were both the same color, a sort of greenish metallic color, as I proceeded through that section I passed two more CRVs and two more Foresters, all the same color. Plus for good measure one RAV4 and another CRV that was white. It was really weird.

Comparing those Foresters to mine (which is a 2005) it was striking how much bigger they are now. Are they even considered a "compact SUV" anymore?

Bob, according to Consumer Reports, the Forester, CRV and Rav 4 are compact SUVs. The Subaru Crosstrek and Honda HR-V are subcompact SUVs.

Popping back in to say when we were looking for my last car (crv) we also looked at the rav-4. My mind was made up immediately because the seats in the rav4 were so very uncomfortable to me, especially the back seats which I would have hated to inflict on anyone. I hope they've changed those.

I had a 2006 CRV It was great, no problems at all except it was kind of hard getting out when my knees and legs were getting old and stiff. I love my Kia Soul, it has a bit less room in the very back for groceries but other then that I prefer it over the CRV

Japanese and Korean cars offer great value for money - quality and reliability for competitive prices. An example, Toyota's hybrid engineering in Prius and larger models for now is without equal. What most don't offer is performance and a fun driving experience. For me, most are very reliable but boring.

An alternative is the better European brands, Volvos and German cars. Excellent quality too but higher prices. Many European models come with 4 cylinder engines at the base level but almost all have turbochargers. I have two 4 cylinder with turbocharger cars and they have plenty of acceleration and power when you step on the gas but they also get good mileage. And, are very fun to drive.

Would you believe it's almost ten days after I started this thread and we still haven't decided? It IS down to the Outback in wilderness green with heated camel colored seats vs a Green Honda CRV with almost the same features. The only difference is the outside appearance. Honda has a sunroof, Outback doesn't and we didn't particularly want one, Honda has remote start and no roof rack or back heated seats which doesn't matter. With Honda we can pay for lease fully when we take it. With Subaru, we have to put a down payment and pay monthly. It's the only way they do it now which isn't how it was three years ago when we paid upfront. Subaru costs probably over $1000 more. We have to make the choice this week and then have a two hour tutorial and with the Subaru, they make you came back in a week for another one. Yikes!

We bought an Outback on Election Day, 2016 (blue, of course!) after looking at the CRV and Mazda. Because we are in our 60s and 70s, safety was an important consideration. Outback's windshield and back window seemed to offer more visibility and their Eyesight Technology is supposed to be the best in the industry. I love it. DH was trading in a Porsche and wanted good handling. The Outback was the winner for him.

I meant to mention handling earlier. My Toyota 4Runner Limited was big (8 cyl.), expensive, good looking, and comfortable, but I always felt as though I did little more than steer. And I was not happy with the way it handled in slippery conditions. It was built on a truck chassis, which probably explains why I noticed right away that the Outback handled like a car. It was a happy discovery.

I have owned both the Subaru Outback 2012 and the Honda CRV. My current car is the Honda CRV 2018. I find it a much better car than the Subaru. I found the Subaru seats uncomfortable for long trips. It lacked pickup and I would only buy it with the bigger engine. The ride was wonderful. I live in a city with horrible, potholed roads and never felt a bump.

My 2 biggest problem with the Subaru were while under warranty. My transmission went twice and was going again at 74,000 mile. I found out after the fact that this was a common problem and there was some kind of requirement they fix this even after your warranty expired. Then at 74,000 my car over heated was "repaired" and overheated 2 more time. There was no warning indicator on the dash until it overheated and was too late. I blew my head gaskets. It would have been a $7000 repair. This was a known defect and covered by an extended warranty through the 2011 model. Instead I traded it in and bought the Honda.

The Honda is better in every way, except the ride and the back hatch opening. The hatch is narrower than the actual trunk area and I can not get large flat objects like plywood in the back. If you don't carry such items it won't be an issue. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Lily, I don't quite understand what you mean: Subaru won't take the full payment from you when you buy a car??

sjerin: No, they won't let the car be paid in full but now require monthly payments for the 36 months. Don't even ask me why they changed the policy which they had three years ago. Honda allows you to pay it totally up front. If we take the Subaru , we'll just have automatically withdrawal online each month. .

Wait, you can't outright buy a Subaru? Because they want to make the interest income off it? Neither DH nor I has ever had a car loan. I was leaning toward a Subaru for our upcoming purchase but not like that! Perhaps we will find a lease-return or a one. Sheesh.

hcbm, is the Honda CRV seat better in the 2018? My friend has a, I think it's a 2015, and the seats are pretty uncomfortable for me after half an hour. Our little 90 minute road trip was torture, the trip back worse.

I just purchased a 2018 Subaru Outback in September all cash, no financing/monthly payments.

Sorry, I mentioned way up above but forgot to mention down here this is a three-year lease. We own a Honda sports accord but lease the other car. Sorry for the confusion.

pugga...how do you like your new Outback?

So far, I like it. It's very comfortable, smooth ride. I'm comparing this to my last car, which was a 2005 Prius. I loved my Prius but wanted AWD and didn't want a Rav so I gave Subaru a try.

I think it handles nicely, although driving is not something I find enjoyable, I drive because I have to. In other words, I'm not the kind of person who pays much attention to how a car handles corners, or how many seconds it takes to go from 0-60, etc. I just need a reliable car that does well in snow and gets me where I want to go.

There are lots of bells and whistles that I'm still learning about. I really like all the safety features.

bpath I find the Honda seats comfortable. I hated the Subaru seats. Even a 30 minute drive would irritate my back. Each person is different when it comes to seats. I have a friend who also dislikes the Subaru seats and prefers the Honda. I had a few V70 Volvo's and those seats were really comfortable, especially for long drives. And in 2017 I rented a Jeep Wagoneer for 2 weeks and found those seats super comfortable.

I would like to add that the Subaru felt truly secure on the road. I could drive in any weather and feel safer than in anything else I have ever owned. The Honda feels good and the build and mechanics feel better, but the Subaru felt like it held the road slightly better.

Edited for spelling mistake.

That makes more sense, Lily. :) I do wish manufacturers would realize how important seat comfort is and improve those darn bucket seats that are hard on the back. Wish they still made cars with a bench in the front! I find my crv seat comfortable, but my husband does not. And the reverse is true--he likes his seats (small lexus) and I hate them. Can't please everyone all the time!

Sjerin, I know what you mean about seats!!! I have been looking for a wider, more comfortable seat for several years . I currently have a 05 Buick...nice wide comfy seats but the others are so narrow that the bolsters hit right on my hip replacements and caused my right leg/foot to go numb...And I kinda need that leg! Let us know if you find something.

Just curious...if you ever take passengers, have you tried getting into the back seat? I was ready to buy a Jeep Cherokee and a friend asked me if I had ever tried to get in the back seat ...And I could not get my knees bent enough to get in...I am thankful she saved me from a costly mistake.

Okay, just an update. We drove home tonight our new 2019 Subaru Outback in Wilderness green with camel leather heated seats. It's more a wagon than an SUV. The one we looked at last week was sold so this had to driven in from Philly. The sound system is fabulous. We were using Apple play and Pandora. We had a small tutorial today and then we have to come back in two weeks for a much longer one. The manual is the size of a phone book. It's higher off the ground than the Impreza and has a great panoramic view. I think we made a good choice. The people we dealt with are very nice. I'm glad that's over with.

Love your color choices, Lily--in fact, the whole choice! :-)

>>The manual is the size of a phone book. >>

I loved your comment! I adore my 2017 SUV, but that 400-pg manual wasn't fun to wade through, LOL.

I wanted to come back and give an update on my Honda CRV 2018. My Collision Mitigation System (CMS) suddenly and without warning activated. I was driving on the interstate at about 65 mph in the left lane when the brakes went to the floor and we decelerated to 30 mph in seconds before the brakes released. I was terrified and truly lucky the cars behind me were able to slow or get out of the way. Honda's only answer was, "this has happened with a few cars, and we don't see anything in your computer, but we could disconnect your CMS." This is not an answer. I am waiting now for an answer from Honda of North America. I did not pay for the more expensive model with (CMS) just to turn it off and I don't want to be killed or cause anyone else to be injured or killed. Just a warning about Honda's. I will post a separate thread with the resolution of this issue. Hopefully Honda will fix the issue and do the safe and correct thing.

Wow! Hcbm, I am glad no one was hurt or worse as a result of this incident. Crazy and scary for you indeed do report back when you hear from Honda.

Has Consumer Report had any incidents reported of this? You should contact them. Sounds like something that would/should be an immediate recall.

Lily, the panoramic view was what set the Outback apart from the Honda for me. I mentioned visibility in my post but panoramic view is a better description.

Hcbm, also file a report here: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

This gives the government the information which might force a recall.

Raee, that is even better. Thanks for posting that.

Lily, enjoy your new car! I think that is the same color a friend of mine bought a couple of years ago. She loves hers.